


The Path Till Yesterday

by Vexicle



Series: Smooth Flying! Safe Travels! [5]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Friendship, Gen, Parent-Child Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-31
Updated: 2018-04-29
Packaged: 2019-04-16 04:41:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14156976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vexicle/pseuds/Vexicle





	1. Can't!

“You… invited… _him_.”

Aquilo draws out each word slowly, staring with wide blue eyes as he continues to hold the door open. Basil doesn't know what to do, so he just ignores his thumping heart and smiles nervously, waving at the blond. Politeness first, right?

_Wrong._

“The _tree_ is your special guest?” Aquilo asks, his bewilderedness making his volume go way higher than he probably intended. 

“...basil plants aren't trees,” Basil says, flinching as Aquilo’s icy blue eyes once again settle on his form.

“Oh,” Aquilo says, then coughs, gripping the edge of the door tighter. “Your… username… and Iggy, so…”

“Yeah.” Basil places his hands behind his back and stares at the scruffy welcome mat on the floor. “Understandable.”

Aquilo doesn't respond, and when Basil spares him a quick glance he notes that his cheeks are red, his mouth slightly open in disbelief. His eyes bore straight into their third companion, who looks half-apologetic, yet half-amused.

“Didn't you say you forgave him?” Taro asks, a little too innocently. “Make good on your word, Akkun.” Spinning around on his heel, he calls, “Molasses, would you like to come in?” over his shoulder.

_Molasses?_ Basil clutches at the dark green collar of his shirt as he awkwardly waits for Aquilo to recover from his shock. Damn it, maybe he should have worn something that made him less identifiable as a total loser shut-in. Something sporty, like Aquilo’s shirt. Maybe that would have left a better impression.

Aquilo finally realises that he's preventing Basil from coming in (or that his arm is tired from holding the door, but whatever, Basil hopes that he cares just a _little_ ) and follows the black-haired boy inside. 

Basil walks in, staring at the blandness of Taro's living room. A long rectangular table eats up most of the space in the walk-in kitchen. Aquilo seats himself down at the couch at the end. It looks worn, some of the fabric peeling off, but Aquilo doesn't seem to mind it. He looks back and forth between his classmates curiously.

“Could I interest you in some tea?” Taro calls, looking through the contents of his fridge.

“...what… kind?” Basil’s having trouble finding his voice. He sticks his hand into the front pocket of his jeans, taking comfort in the familiar shape and texture of his mobile phone and wallet.

“Firstly, I apologise for only having one of each in here. There's green tea, peach tea, lemon tea, oolong -”

“I think I'll just take any of that,” Basil squeaks nervously. His phone feels warm in his hand. “I-it's okay, thanks -”

“Alright, here you go.” Basil blinks and finds a cold, pink can in his left hand. Going by the illustration on the can, he guesses that Taro gave him the peach-flavoured one. Wiping his hand and popping it open, he tries not to grimace as he is greeted with a strange new combination of flavours.

“Come on, Bagel.” Basil tries not to spit his drink all over Taro. He finds his wrist being grabbed by the black-haired boy, and he's led to the couch and made to sit beside Aquilo (who still looks on edge).

_What if I'm going to be eaten alive fuck help._ Basil looks pleadingly at Taro, who just gives him a charming smile back. _Help me you too-nice person!_

“Akkun, this is Basil. Play nicely, okay?” Taro coos in a soft voice, still hovering over his classmates, as though they are hostile kindergarteners that need careful supervision.

“I fucking know who he is!” Aquilo snaps.

“I knew you knew my name!” Basil grumbles, equally as peeved.

“We sit next to each other!” Aquilo exclaims, and one swift motion of his hand sends the can toppling over Basil’s lap. All three of them stare at the slowly growing patch of liquid at Basil’s crotch. He hurriedly removes his essentials from his pocket, relieved to find his phone still dry.

“I can… um…” Aquilo makes a grab for the tissue box sitting on the wicker table in front of him, fishing one out. His hand twitches before he realises that contact with Basil’s crotch is a _huge_ no. Wordlessly, he sticks his hand out, and Basil accepts the thin tissue clumsily.

“S-sorry. Where's y-your bathroom?” Basil asks, a little embarrassed. His cheeks feel hot. (Correction, a _lot_ embarrassed.) Taro makes a motion for him to go straight inside and then turn left. Thanking him profusely, he hurriedly dashes off to excuse himself.

_Oh my god no no no what the fuck no fuck,_ Basil’s mind chants on repeat as he does his best to wash the crotch stain. Of course, this necessary step ends up making the wet patch even bigger. He grimaces. It looks bad. Basil stands up on his tiptoes, trying to see his waist and below in the mirror. _Whyyyyy._

Basil gasps for air, unbuckling his belt and sitting down on the toilet. What the hell? He can't handle this amount of stress in his life! He breathes in and out, closing his eyes and tuning out the bright fluorescent lights. 

Honestly, he can't believe Taro invited him. He can't believe he accepted the invitation. And it hadn't turned out to be an excuse to gather everyone who hated him to laugh at him, and Basil’s grateful, but he still can't help feeling like he's tripping and falling all over again. He's starting to regret coming. He's so far away from his familiar apartment. He wants to go home.

No, no, no, he mustn't think that way. It's essential to have good relations with your boyfriend’s family, right? Especially when said family are twins?

_Aquilo… he's the same way._ The thought runs through his mind like a jolt of electricity. _He's just as awkward as me!_ Basil begins laughing then, cupping his face in his hands and just chortling and chortling.

_Maybe we really do have something in common? Maybe… we can be friends._ It's with renewed determination to crash through the barrier of acquaintanceship that Basil pulls up his big boy pants and washes his hands… dramatically. With a nervous smile, he adjusts his shirt one last time.

Everything seems much too loud - the flush of the toilet, the running water of the sink. Basil exits the bathroom with his head held low.

“I'm sorry,” Aquilo mutters as Basil returns.

“It's okay,” he replies. His mind is swarming with unanswered questions. He didn't expect Aquilo to be so… so _him_.

“You doing alright, Seaweed?”

Basil wrinkles his nose. “What the hell?”

“Iggy sent me a list of nicknames to try out on you,” Taro answers truthfully, scrolling through his phone. “He told me to send him the one that annoyed you the most.”

“Whyyyy??” Basil groans. “Isn't Taro a plant name too? What are you getting out of this?”

“Five dollars,” Taro answers with a slight trace of sympathy in his tone. "My name means eldest son, actually."

"Oh. Right. Japanese. Yeah." For a moment, Basil wonders if he sees a shadow cross Taro's eyes. Then, Basil sighs and clutches at his pants. Okay, maybe _one_ person was pseudo-invited to make fun of him.

“Your relationship seems rather kinky,” Taro interjects with a slight smirk, causing both of his companions to choke. “Who tops?”

“W-what? uh…” Basil stammers, green eyes wide, and then he realises that Aquilo is clutching at his arm, a horrified expression on his face. The football player's strength guarantees pain.

 _Wait, does no one know Iggy isn't interested?_ He eyes Aquilo out of the corner of his eye. _Not even him?_

“No one does anything yet,” he says cautiously. Aquilo relaxes while Taro makes an expression of mock disappointment.

“Can you _please_ never ask that kind of shit again?” Aquilo growls. “The… the mental images,” he says, looking right at Basil. Then he realises what he's grabbing on to and springs apart, biting his lip. Basil stares after him helplessly.

“Taro, why are we here?” Aquilo asks miserably. Basil’s heart goes out to him, honestly. He can imagine they're both thinking the same thing: _Iggy, please come and rescue me!_

“Eh, actually I wanted to just go and sit down and watch stuff with you guys. Or whatever you guys want.” Taro looks curiously at Basil. “I know what he likes, but do you have a certain preference?”

“I… uh… no?” Basil stammers. He can't let them know what he likes! He’ll be mocked and ridiculed for it! It's the same reason Basil often spends his recesses alone. He can't let his classmates know anything about him! If anything, the only thing they know is he likes the same kind of video games as Iggy. That's not grounds for judgemental judginess, right?!

“You know what?” _No._ “How about we sit here and get to know you first?” _No no no._ “Like, the real you, I mean.” _No no no no no no no no no no._

Basil gulps and hugs his knees to his chest. “I'm sorry about that,” he says quietly. “Sorry for… the slurs. I really don't know what I was thinking.” His palms are sweating. He wants out. 

He won't let himself go _that_ easily.

“It's okay.” Taro shrugs. “I agreed. Slightly. I just found it funny, since I wasn't even Chinese, but then I remembered we really do all look the same.”

“No, you don't.” Aquilo rolls his eyes. “Unless you mean to tell me that you can't tell the difference between Cherry and Zephyr.”

“I actually couldn't for a few weeks.” Taro shrugs. “Everytime I saw either of them, I kept mixing them up in my mind.” He finally settles down on a chair next to the couch, picking up the red plush cushion and hugging it to his chest. “Although, maybe it's because I didn't _care_ to learn the difference, and... I'm really sorry for that.” Taro looks down. “I think I may have offended Zephyr by asking her about Chinese culture.”

“...it took you how long to realise Zephyr _Kye_ wasn't from China?” Basil spares him a glance. Aquilo seems genuinely confused. Basil just feels awkward. Now he's not sure if the next time he sees his girlfriend he can stop himself from blurting this out.

“...I don't know, I thought it was K-A-I.” Taro shrugs again, looking like he wants to laugh but unsure if that would be welcomed. “I suppose it was rather dense of me. Anyway,” Taro continues hastily, trying to ignore the incredulity on Aquilo's face, “no matter what, that entire thing proves they're much smarter than me. Surely no one else would make such a mistake.”

Basil and Aquilo swap glances again. Well, if anything, this unorthodox situation has united them in equal surprise and confusion. Basil doesn't know Taro well, but the one thing he _does_ know is Taro scores really high on tests. 

“Hey now, you probably shouldn't say that,” Aquilo tells Taro, his eyes betraying his concern for his friend. 

Again with the shrug. It seems to become more and more defensive the further the conversation goes on. “Why not? I'm just saying.” Taro’s neutral expression shifts into a sad frown. “I don't think they got held back in school, anyway.”

Surprise shifts to alarm. “Takkun -”

“Cherry and Zephyr are smart,” Taro says monotonously, still staring at the cushion he has in his lap. “I'm sorry. Frakkun - Francis, he's actually talked to me about this, but it's been so many years. It’s not easy to get rid of.”

Basil doesn't know why, but he promptly blurts out,“...if it's confession time, I… I lashed out because… parents. One ignored me, and I've never met the other.” Hesitation forgotten, Basil forces himself to look directly into Aquilo’s eyes. He looks horrified, and Basil isn't sure if that's to his credit or not. “Look, like, I know it's not an excuse, but, um. Yeah. I literally did it because I wanted attention. I'm over it now.”

“...did it work?” Aquilo’s voice is sombre, his face a sad frown. Basil's heart squeezes.

“I mean… yeah. Maybe I should have done it a different way, though.”

“Yeah.” Aquilo takes a deep breath. “Yeah, okay.” He reaches out tenaciously, his gaze gentle but firm. “I guess… if you wanna talk, we're here.” Taro looks over and smiles and nods. Aquilo coughs. “Though I think you'd go to Iggy and Zephyr first, huh?”

“Right, right,” Basil says hastily, blushing. His entire body feels warm and tingly all over, and he ducks his head shyly. “Thank… thank you.”

They all sit there in companiable silence, Basil feeling comfortable next to them for the first time since he met them. He smiles, rocking slightly back and forth. _I'm so happy. They... they just accepted it like that._ Basil is left to stew in his thoughts, and the more he thinks about it, the warmer he feels inside.

Basil decides he might like hanging out.

“Akkun, we've shared ours,” Taro says suddenly, thoughtfully, raising a finger to his chin. “Any secrets?”

“...no?” Aquilo jolts in his seat. “I mean, I don't think so.” He chuckles and wipes his brow. Honestly, Basil's a little jealous how he can make every single little thing seem so cool. He's leagues above him.

“I mean, I'd say it was something about Cherry, but that’s obvious.” The corners of Taro’s mouth twitch. Worry shifts to annoyance. Aquilo clutches at the armrests of the couch, glaring at the other boy.

“Why don't you tell us all about her, hmm? Your thoughts, your… _fantasies_ -”

(And that was how Basil wound up trying to pry an enraged Aquilo off a maniacally-laughing Taro.)


	2. Calamity

“You went out today.” As soon as Basil unlocks the door, he hears a familiar deep voice call from the kitchen. He steps in and his father appears, carrying plates of food. This time, it's simple rice with chicken yet again, but Basil doesn't really mind. In his humble opinion, it's delicious.

“Are they your friends?” Basil’s father hovers nearby, a flash of uncertainty in his blue eyes, clutching at his wrist.

Basil pauses, straightens his shirt for reasons beyond him, and settles down to eat his dinner. 

_I guess… if you wanna talk, we're here._

“May…be?” Basil says cautiously, feeling himself crack a grin and his heart warm regardless.

“...want to share? It's up to you.” Basil is feeling awkward, so he's secretly really grateful when his father joins him at the table. He pulls his chair in and looks over at Basil curiously.

“Oh, they're… they're really nice. One’s Japanese and one’s half-Australian.” Basi catches himself still smiling that little smile. Maybe he should stop. “It was awkward at first, but then it got better.” He stuffs a piece of meat in his mouth. Then he finds himself thinking about Iggy. He casts his gaze down, blushing furiously.

“That's nice.” His father still isn't eating, just crossing his arms and resting them on the table’s surface. Basil’s skin prickles. “You know, a sense of humour is paramount in relationships. Next to loyalty and trustworthiness, of course.”

 _You have friends?_ Basil is tempted to ask, then he realises that it's a stupid question, so he just says, “White guy sure didn't have one.” Somehow, he's never realised that parents would have social lives.

“White guy? The Aussie?”

“Yep. He's the twin of my boyfriend.” Basil laughs and chokes on one damn grain of rice. 

“So, I'm assuming you don't want me meddling in your romantic relations?” He finally, finally picks up a spoon and chews on his food. Basil relaxes, breathing out. It’s so weird being scrutinised like that. Maybe it'd help if his father didn't… stare at him so unblinkingly.

Basil never knows what he's thinking, but he doesn't seem mad right now, so that's good.

“I'd rather not.” Basil busies himself with dipping the chicken in black sauce.

“You're a smart kid.” Another blink of those brilliant blue eyes. “Just remember about condoms and all that shit.” He chuckles a little. “I apologise, but I'm unable to provide any advice on romantic relationships. It's not like I've been in one.”

Basil waves his hand at him dismissively. “Yeah, don't worry... _wait a minute_.” Basil nearly sends his dinner plate skidding across the table, and his heart thuds in his chest. “Wait, how do I _exist_?”

Even though his shoulders are tense and he seems to have realised his mistake, his father still meets his gaze firmly. “I'm sorry. Frankly, I didn't realise my uterus was still in working condition.”

Basil has to look away. He clutches harder at the table, his dinner forgotten. He feels nauseous, guilty, even. “Then… other dad?”

“He paid child support.”

“No, no, I mean… what was he like?”

“I mean, by context alone he's a decent person, but… that night… I don't remember.” His father finally drops his gaze. “I was drunk.”

“...so. Me. Condoms.” His voice comes out harsher than intended. Basil’s mind feels blank. An icy cold sensation grips his entire being.

“Yes.” His father is looking up again, and it strikes Basil when he notices how forlorn he appears. Basil feels like he should be mad. He wants to be mad. But no matter what, he always had some kind of respect for how _professional_ his father was.

“Why didn't you just get rid of me?” Basil mutters quietly. He sniffs loudly. To his horror, his eyes are watering. He growls and wipes at his eyes. _You might as well have,_ something bitter inside Basil hisses, but as far as he cares he's done being fiery and impulsive and his counsellor tells him he needs to listen to others as well. 

So, he will, even though he's trembling all over and he's completely not ready to hear anything that comes next.

“I… I guess I didn't have anyone left.” His father sighs and pulls at his shirt collar. “I mean, you… I wanted to keep you. Yeah. But, I guess… maybe it wasn't the best idea. What do you think?”

“You're asking _me_ if it's a good idea to kill myself?” Basil asks flatly. _That_ gets a reaction out of his father - his eyes widen and scrambles to Basil’s side.

“No,” he says urgently. “Don't. I mean that I probably should have tried harder. I made assumptions. It's my fault. I don't blame you if you hate me. Just...” Slowly, he reaches out for a hug, taking Basil’s stunned silence for consent. “Please don't hate yourself,” he says quietly, embracing him. “If there's anything, even if you don't want to tell me, talk to your friends. The… the ones you just told me about?”

Somehow, even though there's a huge churning amount of discomfort settling in his belly, Basil feels reassured. He's slightly guilty. He shouldn't feel validated by something like this, but his father loves him. In his own way. That's enough, right? 

“Any… other startling facts about my birth you want to tell me?” Basil asks, chuckling weakly. He might as well hear it all.

“There was a whole bunch of news surrounding it.” His father straightens up and makes a face of disgust. “Those people. Always trifling with others’ lives.”

Basil almost doesn't dare to ask, “Did everyone know?”, but he does, and gulps down a ball of _something_ in his throat that has mysteriously appeared from thin air.

“I don't know, but I think at least some did. Others merely guessed.”

“I didn't understand it, but is that what they meant when they said I was following in your ‘wild ways’?”

“...they said what?” His father inhales and exhales slowly. “No, no. You won't be like that,” he says, mostly to himself. “No, like. Just. Yeah. You know.”

“...oh.” Basil looks at his abandoned dinner. His father cooked it for him. It had been a long time since he had finally stopped buying preheated meals. It'd taken him a while, too, to master it. Basil is silent, thinking. It had been a few years now. His father was still awkward, but… he tried, so...

“Nothing else?”

“Nothing else.”

“I… I need some time to think.” Basil barely hears the screech of the chair as he stands up. “I'll be… in my room.”

“...yeah, sure.” Basil catches a glimpse of his father glancing at the dishes laid out on the table, before he slinks along the corridor and enters his own room. He debates it in his mind for a while before he decides to close his door and collapse against it.

The ice-cold, slimy feeling now crawls its way down his back, and he shudders. Feeling conflicted, he whips his phone out. To his surprise, he sees two sort-of-familiar numbers on his screen.

**Takkun:** I hope you got home safely.  
**Aquilo:** Iggy’s pestering me. Please tell him I didn't kill you. He doesn't believe me.  
**Aquilo:** Also, I'm really sorry about the terrorising thing I didn't know  
**Aquilo:** Should I use :( or is that too talkdowny 

Basil manages a weak smile and wipes his tears. Can't text while crying, can he?

**Treewe:** im a bastard

He copies and pastes the same message to Aquilo, Taro and his lovers, because why the fuck not he feels like his world is ending.

To his absolute surprise, it's Aquilo who gets back to him first.

**Aquilo:** I can see you're trying. Don't worry, you'll get there eventually.

Basil receives a picture of Aquilo and Iggy’s pet hamster. Despite himself, he laughs out loud. He continues grinning subconsciously as he zooms in on the fluffy white creature in its cage. Brief amusement overwrites his need to take an hour-long shower, leap in bed and cry himself to sleep.

**Treewe:** It's cute

Basil feels kind of bad disrupting Aquilo’s peace. He debates just leaving the misunderstanding, but… Aquilo _did_ say he could talk to him about anything, right?

**Treewe:** No like my dad just told me my existence is an accident

There's a visible pause as Aquilo leaves him on read for a few moments. Basil wonders if Iggy’s there. He can almost imagine the flabbergasted look on his serious face.

His phone chimes again.

**ZigZag:** Hi Bastard, I'm Basil

The black-haired boy feels strangely hysterical. Is he really that bad at words?

**Treewe:** please Zephyr im illegitimate and idk what to dooooo

Basil groans and accidentally smacks the back of his head against the door. Rubbing it, he winces as he toggles back and forth between conversations.

**Aquilo:** Well I'd say it doesn't really matter. You're here now aren't you? You're just like us.  
**Ichi:** Hi I see you're talking to Quilly. He's putting it better than me but don't worry!!  
**ZigZag:** This probably isn't the time for dumb jokes .aaaaa What does that mean for you?  
**Aquilo:** There are a few people who get married soon after pregnancy, there's nothing wrong with that.  
**Treewe:** No my parents were never married. At least others got married, my dad didn't. He said he didn't even remember my other dad.  
**Ichi:** He's speaking for both of us, but for me I'd like to say that doesn't change anything. I still love you.

His inbox has never been this chaotic. Basil, for some reason, uses his free hand to hide his pleased expression.

He's never had so many friends before.

He's always opened his messages only to Iggy and occasionally his father. Previously, no one ever bothered contacting him for laughs. Only Iggy. It's always been Iggy. Basil decides he likes it, having so many people concerned about him. He's grateful, he really is.

**Aquilo:** I think you're a citizen, since you live with your father. There's gotta be a statement he signed or something.  
**Treewe:** I don't know I still feel kinda lesser

He forwards the last message to everyone. Basil idly wonders where Taro is. Maybe he's just busy and he shouldn't trouble him with his own bullshit. Still though, he feels really… reassured. His breathing slows down, and he closes his eyes for a while.

_Iggy said he loves me._ A blush erupts over his cheeks as he bites his lip. He doesn't even have the courage to be online where his peers can see him, so he watches new messages pop up on his lock screen every so often. 

**ZigZag:** Why?  
**ZigZag:** Please don't feel that way. There are far more important aspects to someone than how they were born  
**Ichi:** Wherare yo are uo okay??  
**Aquilo:** Huh what? No.  
**Aquilo:** Listen, I wouldn't hate you because of something beyond your control. I hated you because you were kind of an ass. But you apologise and put in effort to be repentant, so you're good.

Basil allows himself to do a happy dance in his room. He bounces onto his bed and snuggles into the covers. Something light and fluttery detaches from the leg of his pants, but he ignores it for now.

**Treewe:** Thank you. I really appreciate this, I do.

Basil flops down and picks up the piece of paper that he had apparently been sitting on. His eyes scan the choppy handwriting.

_Basil, I've washed the dishes, but if you still want the leftovers, I've covered your plate._

Hesitantly, Basil rolls up the note in his hands. He doesn't feel like throwing it away. Basil just feels… lied to, but that's strange, isn't it? This isn't something any father would tell their child lightly. Basil rolls over onto his back, sighing and staring at the ceiling fan.

He's not angry.

Forgive and forget, the counsellor said.

Basil grabs a pen, unfolds the note, flips it over and writes, _I love you, dad,_ on the other side. Basil opens his room door, silently walks over to his father’s room and slips the note underneath the wooden door.

Settling down at the familiar round table again, Basil pulls out his phone, and smiles, blushing.

**ZigZag:** Alright, sleep well tonight. XOXO  
**Aquilo:** I hope you're feeling better HIIIIIOOO BASSSIKKLL KISSES  
**ZigZag:** Or do people not say that anymore?  
**Aquilo:** IGGY FUCKEBOFF adshsdJJhgwo  
**Aquilo:** OH MY GOD  
**Aquilo:** FUCK BRB  
**ZigZag:** Regardless, I hope you don't feel bad about yourself. You're better than you think, okay? Call me if you need help.

Basil feels his heart hammering in his chest. He has a feeling if Zephyr said that to him in real life, he'd instantly fall over or faint or stammer out utter nonsense. And he already feels weak at the knees from his boyfriend’s sheer suicidal tactics. He shakes his head affectionately and gulps down a mouthful of rice. _Cold._

His heart isn't.


	3. Calm

Taro had been having a very nice sleep filled with nothingness and emptiness when his alarm rings. He blinks, rubbing his eyes, and sits up blearily in bed.

_It's much better today._

His discomfort tends to occur in swings, baring its teeth now and again, and Taro would very much like to put the past behind him. The only solution to his problems is to sleep them away, he finds. Which has resulted in him going to sleep at 7pm yesterday. He justifies it as having being mentally exhausted, but as he takes a look at the bear-themed clock near his bed, he realises he slept more than twelve hours.

Crap, there goes his health. Sleeping too much isn't healthy, is it? Not to mention all the revision time he needs to catch up on.

Taro groans, rolls over and checks his phone for the latest news; it's a habit his parents have ingrained in him since young. To his surprise, he's greeted with a message from Basil. Then he sighs as he realises he _sent him a text_ yesterday. He’s feeling really scatterbrained. He should stop that.

**Treewe:** im a bastard

That… didn't really answer him at all. Maybe Basil wasn't in the right frame of mind to consider that? He doesn't seem very happy. Still though, this happened when he was asleep, so maybe he's solved whatever has been troubling him. Taro replies to him, just in case.

**Takkun:** Can you elaborate?

Taro dumps his phone on the covers, stretches, and heads off into the bathroom to start his morning routine. When he returns, feeling more clear-headed, Basil has responded.

**Treewe:** Oh, I was an illegitimate child, and my dad kinda accidentally told me that so I just felt really sad and kinda confused and really, really betrayed  
**Treewe:** but the others right they kinda helped me out

Taro’s heart squeezes, for a multitude of reasons. _There's people with_ actual _problems out there, Taro._

**Takkun:** I'm glad :) i dont know about your family situation, but you can talk to any of us if you're still feeling down.

_Is that the right thing to say?_ it comes to his attention that he doesn't really know his classmate that well; though, that's probably all the more reason why he should try.

Taro nearly jumps out of his skin at Basil’s reply.

**Treewe:** That's good and all :DddddD how about you?

Taro gulps and closes his eyes, clutching his phone with both hands. _Really?_

**Takkun:** No, I'm alright. The only regret I have is not reading your message sooner. It’s good you're feeling better.

Taro sighs, clicking his tongue. He feels like he sounds exactly like the boy’s father, though he hadn't the faintest clue what he might be like. A flitting thought crosses his mind, but Taro tells himself not to pry. It's none of his business, and besides, he wants to believe that Basil’s father is a truly good person at heart, for Basil’s sake.

**Treewe:** Actually Im still feeling kind of conflicted.  
**Treewe:** Im pretty sure he jnows i love him and all but i cant look at him fkr now  
**Treewe:** I dot know what I'm suppose to be feeling right now………….  
**Treewe:** But you know? You being here is good and really thanks an awful lot!!  
**Treewe:** it's not your fault you wer busy yesterday everyone's busy, so don't fret  
**Treewe:** Everyone needs their alone time yeah?

Taro smiles through watery eyes and nods, mostly to himself. _Busy. Yeah, right. Like he needs or cares to know._

Taro wants Francis to magically teleport into his room and soothe him or something. He sighs and clings to his memory of what Francis told him all the way back then. He swears he can vaguely detect a familiar floral scent.

_I swear, no one cares about my history at all. I'm blowing this way out of proportion. I gotta stop._ Taro collapses in bed and clutches at his blankets, then almost falls off as his phone chimes.

**Treewe:** Are you there? Are you okay?

_No._

**Takkun:** Yep, I'm fine. I completely understand. Thank you for caring. Do you still want to talk?

He's probably a bad example of a senior, making his junior worry about him like that. Not to mention they're in the same class and, and… Taro just feels so _stupid_ sometimes.

Taro sighs and wraps one arm around his boister.

**Treewe:** Thank you Taro :3  
**Treewe:** Honestly, just talking to you has made me feel more at ease  
**Treewe:** Yiu kinda have that effect on people.  
**Treewe:** I feel calm now.  
**Treewe:** Of course you always are aren't you? Smart and capable.

Taro finds himself huddling under the sheets and blushing up a furious storm.

**Takkun:** What? No? You flatter me.  
**Treewe:** but but but you're on the student council???  
**Treewe:** also don't tell Iggy or zephyr but imo your singing voice is the nicest  
**Takkun:** What? What?? What?! Huh?? I i what huh???

Taro feels like his bedroom has gotten twenty degrees hotter. He clutches a hand to his chest like he's having a heart attack. He's only vaguely aware he's typing out all his thoughts in text, his mind is in such a flustered mess. His fingers feel fat and clumsy and he feels like his phone is about to slip out at any second.

**Treewe:** too much? Sorry  
**Takkun:** iiiiii ik mmo I juste um  
**Takkun:** ukmm im reallyembrassed umm  
**Takkun:** but thnam you yeah!!!nn!

_What the fuck what the fuck what the fuck,_ he chants in his mind, rolling back and forth and making a mess out of his sheets. _Why am I... so…_

**Treewe:** OH MY GOD OH MY GOD YOURE NOT OKAY  
**Treewe:** I KILLED YOU  
**Treewe:** AAAAAAA  
**Treewe:** AAA  
**Takkun:** asdfghjkl ;;;;A;;;;;;;;;;;;;

Taro laughs, covering his mouth. Despite himself, he's feeling better now, light and free. He imagines he's helping the other boy out as well, so he's satisfied with that. _Honestly, he's so sweet._ Taro wishes that others in their school could give him a chance, but he also understands why they wouldn't. Regardless, he's grateful.

**Takkun:** Thank you too, Basil. Good day ^^  
**Treewe:** byebyeeee :3

.

Taro finds himself more focused that day, smiling and humming a tune to himself as he highlights his notes.


	4. Closure

“If you were drunk at that time, then… this entire thing. Do you really care? Do you really love me at all?”

This morning, Basil has hesitated outside his father’s door, before he finally gulped down all his misgivings and knocked on the door. Here they are now, on his bed, and Basil has never actually been here before. He took a short while being amazed at the complete blandness of everything. No decorative items line the walls of this room, just a plain, basic single bed and a plain, basic connected toilet and a plain, basic black desk.

It's a short while before his father nods his head, and - okay, okay, he really, really wants to forgive him - but Basil isn't entirely satisfied with, what is in his opinion, a very half-assed confirmation. He crosses his arms and grabs his arms, forest green eyes set ablaze.

“ _You don't seem like you mean it,_ ” Basil hisses. He doesn't know what to feel - it's all mixing together and becoming one large gelatinous mess of emotions, hot and cold and he feels… he feels...

He still loves him. He still cares. Basil blinks as he finds himself wrapped up in strong, warm arms, and that alone tells him more than any passion words can convey.

It's the second time his father has hugged him at all.

“I'm sorry,” his father whispers softly. His lip trembles and Basil notices that he’s frowning and… and his eyes are _watering_. Half-worried, half-relieved, Basil’s fire has been thoroughly extinguished in favour of accepting the hug, allowing his father to embrace him.

“It's me and my stupid pride,” the brunet says decisively, and Basil can hear it clearly. It's faint, but it might as well have reverberated through the room. There’s slight anger in his tone, but coming from this stoic, quiet man… he might as well have struck Basil down. Basil isn't stupid - he knows who it's directed towards, so he just rests his head on his shoulder.

Even now, he's still a little afraid to bridge the gap. His father isn't the cuddliest of men, after all, but he doesn't pull away, so Basil takes that as a good sign even as his heart thunders away in his chest.

“I know it doesn't excuse my actions.” His father sighs, closing his blue eyes, as if to bask in his own sorrow. “I just… I don't really understand why you're still here, but thank you for giving me a second chance.”

“We're family,” Basil says, quirking an eyebrow. “I said I still love you, but… you do love me? You don't regret…” His voice breaks. “Having… me?”

The brunet sniffs and wipes his eyes, and Basil, for a second, can't help taking in how small he looks. This year, he's finally grown taller than his own dad, and it's all so… unnatural. It casts the older man in a new, more vulnerable light than he permits himself to be in. 

“Basil, Basil. You were the best thing to happen to me in a long while.” The hint of a cracked, watery smile peeps out from behind the dark curtain. “That's the truth. I just assumed, incorrectly, that you wanted to be left alone.” He folds his hands neatly in his lap, averting his gaze. 

“It's all because as a child, it was what I wanted. I never took into account the possibility that you'd need more than that. And then…” He shakes his head, barking out a short, sharp laugh. “My reasoning was you'd tell me if you needed anything. Of course, I hadn't taken into account that humans aren't robots. Of course you wouldn't have trusted me enough,” he says, not bitter, but resigned. “For that, I sincerely apologise,” he says, looking up, but… not quite at Basil.

The black-haired boy turns behind him, messing up the previously immaculately folded mattress, and to his utter surprise, on the boring desk there are _pictures_ of him he hadn't noticed before, framed and arranged neatly.

There are so many for him to take in at once - him as a baby at the hospital, then it's a sullen-looking boy with hair that hasn't fully grown yet, then it's the same, older-but-still-cute toddler beaming up at the camera; Basil feels slightly guilty for some reason that none of the pictures have him in teenage form. 

“Dad,” he says as he reaches out and grabs his father’s hand and squeezes it. Basil turns it over and observes it closely. His hand’s actually bigger than his, and his is smoother, without the ugly black fuzz that gathers on the lowest joints of his fingers. “Dad,” he says again, warmly. 

“I'm so sorry.” His father sighs and allows Basil to resume toying with his hand. 

“But you've promised to become better, right?”

“Yes, I have.” In his blue eyes blaze a fiery light the likes of which Basil hasn't seen before. “I'll make it up to you, even if it takes years.” 

“It'll be nice, but I'm just thankful you're here,” Basil admits, releasing his hand from his grasp. 

“...ah, I see.” His father nods. “We’ll spend more time together, then.” 

Excitement courses through his veins. “Thank you, dad,” Basil says, smiling. 


End file.
